I keep hearing that fraudulent claims were very common. However, I have never actually seen a case of fraud. I think that is an unlikely scenario...and that the commonness of fraud is just a myth.

More likely is that muster rolls for all these incarnations of his unit are scarce and his name just happens, for whatever reason, not to show on the few in existence.

I do find an F.S. Strickland in Co. C of Wingfield's 3rd La. Cav.

When researching H.M. Strickland yesterday, I came across a listing in Booth's Records that made me think twice. Now, I think that it is worth a third thought.

"Strickland, A. W., Pvt. Co. D, 3rd (Wingfield's) La. Cav. En. May 19, 1862, St. Helena, La. Roll not dated, Present. Roll dated Sept. 19, 1862, Absent with leave. Federal Rolls of Prisoners of War, Paroled Port Hudson, La., July _, 1863."

I wondered about this possibility when I saw it. I have seen quite a few examples where the letter "H" was mis-transcribed as an "A". And a mis-transcription of the letters "W" and "M" is an extremely common occurrence.

I think that it is possible, at least, that H.M. Strickland is shown as "A.W. Strickland". The possibility is worth looking into, anyway.

One factor that raises the level of likelihood for this possibility is that both the 18th Battl. and Wingfield's 3rd were in the same brigade (Scott's Brigade). Scott's Brigade was a relatively small brigade, in numbers of men.

Scott's Brigade consisted of Powers’ Regiment Mississippi & Louisiana Cavalry, the 1st and 3rd (Wingfield's) Louisiana Cavalry regiments, Ogden's Louisiana Cavalry Regiment, and the 18th Louisiana Cavalry Battalion.

Further, as Art points out: "The 18th Louisiana Cavalry Battalion...was originally called the 10th Louisiana Cavalry Battalion when organized about January 25, 1864."

Since this unit was not formed until after A.W. Strickland's parole at Vicksburg, it is possible that his first service was with Wingfield's, with later service in the 10th/18th and Powers.

The three Mississippi units in Powers Regt. were reassigned on November 21, 1864. I do not know what happened to the remainder of Powers Regt. after that date. Maybe Art can help us out on that question. Getting a copy of his book, and tracing the unit histories might explain how he could have been in the 3rd, 10th/18th, and Powers at one time or another.